Aerospace

B-2 Spirit: The $2 billion flying wing

With its "flying wing" design that makes it almost invisible to radar, the B-2 Spirit bomber is truly a standout among military planes -- and also the world's most expensive, at over $2 billion per aircraft.
A product of the Cold War, it was originally designed to penetrate Soviet air defenses and carry both conventional and nuclear weapons. But shortly after its first flight, over 30 years ago in 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall ended the Cold War and no B-2 has ever flown inside Russian airspace.
Nevertheless, it has seen its fair share of combat. The first B-2 was delivered in 1993 to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, where the fleet is based and still operates, and its first operational use was during the 1999 Kosovo War.
One of the most sophisticated flying machines in existence, the B-2 can reach a target anywhere in the world and return to base, refueling in mid-air. No B-2 has ever been lost in combat.